OUTLANDER

"Sassenach"
by
Ronald D. Moore

Based on the novel by

Diana Gabaldon

Revised Network Draft

April 19th, 2013

OUTLANDER
Sassenach
FADE IN:
ON A WOMANS LEGS
Running through the WOODS, dressed in a thin cotton dress.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
People disappear all the time.
Tree branches lash at her, but we still cant see her face as
she crashes through the underbrush.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Young girls run away from home.
Children stray from their parents
and are never seen again.
Housewives take the grocery money
and a taxi to the train station.
She nearly falls. Her HAND reaches out at the last second
and saves herself with a tree branch.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Most are found, eventually.
Disappearances, after all, have
explanations.
She tries to catch her breath, her hand TREMBLING on the
branch.
Usually.

CLAIRE (V.O.)

Suddenly a pair of HANDS GRAB HER FROM BEHIND -CUT TO BLACK.

FADE IN:
EXT. VILLAGE STREET - DUSK
CLAIRE RANDALL (27) standing on a cobblestoned street in a
small village in post-war Scotland. Dressed in modest warm
clothes, her forever unruly curls cascading over her features
in the brisk wind, she stares at a SHOP window filled with
household goods: embroidered tea cloths and cozies, pitchers
and glasses, a stack of pie tins, and a set of three VASES.

(CONTINUED)

2.
CONTINUED:
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Strange, the things you remember;
the single images and feelings that
stay with you down through the
years. Like looking at a shop
window with the sudden realization
that youve never owned a vase in
your entire life. That youve
never lived in any one place long
enough to justify having such a
thing. And how at that moment, you
want nothing so much in all the
world as to have a vase of your
very own.
She stares at the blue patterned vase in the window.
shop is CLOSED.

The

CLAIRE (V.O.)
Even now I can recall every detail
of standing outside that shop in
Scotland.
Claire finally wraps her coat tighter around her body and
walks down the street. THUNDER ROLLS somewhere in the
distance.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
It was a Wednesday afternoon,
eleven months after the end of the
war.
INT. FIELD HOSPITAL - DAY
SCREAMS of agony fill the tent as two British SOLDIERS try to
hold down another badly WOUNDED SOLDIER.
British Army Nurse Claire Randall calmly goes about CUTTING
off the remnants of the wounded mans pants, exposing
horribly mangled legs with jagged bones cutting through
grievous lacerations. In the b.g. the triage tent is filled
with cots and rough pallets, all jammed with the WOUNDED.
WOUNDED SOLDIER
JESUS CHRIST! OHMYGOD,
OHMYGOD! OH DEAR JESUS!

SOLDIER #1
Wheres the bloody doctor?!

Suddenly a SPRAY OF BLOOD splashes across Claire and the

other soldiers. The wounded man jerks and spasms.
CLAIRE
HOLD HIM! YOU HEAR ME!
RIGHT NOW!

HOLD HIM

(CONTINUED)

3.
CONTINUED:
Claire grabs a clamp from a crash tray and then works to
reach deep inside the mans lacerated thigh as he screams his
lungs out. The soldiers hold him tight.
CLAIRE (contd)
I have to clamp the femoral artery
or hell bleed out!
SOLDIER #2
Come on, Jackie boy, its all
right. Youre going home... youre
going home...
Claire grimaces, fights, finally gets her fingers on the
artery and clamps it off. The spray of blood STOPS. An Army
DOCTOR (30s) finally rushes over to the table with a
hypodermic needle of morphine, which he INJECTS into the man.
The soldier sags back on the table as the drug kicks in.
DOCTOR
(to Soldiers)
Weve got him now.

On your way.

The soldiers step back from their friend.

SOLDIER #1
Thank you, doctor. Thank you.
No thanks for Claire, who saved the mans life. But she
neither notices nor cares -- too busy working her patient.
EXT. FIELD HOSPITAL - DAY (LATER)
GUNSHOTS are heard as Claire steps outside the tent with
cheeks as grey as the overcast sky, eyes red-rimmed and
glassy. Exhaustion etched into every inch of her face. The
sound of random gunfire continues as she stands in her bloodspattered clothes outside the tent for a moment, numbly
trying to understand what she sees o.c.
NEW ANGLE
The nurses are kissing soldiers, soldiers are hugging
soldiers and a few of them are FIRING WILDLY into the air
with automatic weapons. Someone has scrounged up bottles of
WINE and CHAMPAGNE and people are spraying them over one
another and drinking greedily.
Another NURSE happens by, her arms draped around a soldier
and a bottle in her hand.

(CONTINUED)

4.
CONTINUED:
NURSE
Claire! Did you hear? Its over!
Its really, finally over!
She hands Claire the bottle. Claire takes a long drink, but
shes too tired and strung out to do anything else but stare
at the revelers. Hold on her exhausted, glassy-eyed face for
a moment...
EXT. SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS - ROAD - WIDE - DAY
Mountains crowd the frame like massive shoulders as an opentopped CAR bounces and careens down the narrow road.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
We were in Scotland on our second
honeymoon. Or at least thats what
Frank called it. A way to
celebrate the end of the war years
and begin our lives anew. But it
was more than that.
EXT. MRS. BAIRDS BED & BREAKFAST - DUSK
As evening falls, the Randall car is parked outside the
modest inn. Claire makes her way up the path while her
husband FRANK RANDALL (30s) carries in the luggage.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
We didnt discuss it, but I think
we both felt a holiday would serve
as a convenient masquerade for the
real business of getting to know
the people we had become after six
years apart.
Frank stops on the threshold, peers at the sill.
FRANK
Now, what do you suppose that is?
Claire moves for a closer look.
CLAIRE
Good Lord -- its blood!
FRANK
Are you sure?
CLAIRE
I should think I know the look of
blood by now...

(CONTINUED)

5.
CONTINUED:
FRANK
(peers at neighboring
houses)
Theres a stain just like it on the
house next door. And the next. We
seem to be surrounded by homes
marked with blood.
They look about for a moment at the darkened door sills. The
street is empty at the moment, and the quiet feels unnatural,
disturbing. Claire finally breaks the tension -CLAIRE
(light)
Perhaps Pharaoh has refused Moses
and the spirit of death will travel
the streets of Inverness this night
sparing only those who mark their
doors with lambs blood.
FRANK
You may be closer than you think.
This could well be part of a
sacrificial ritual -- but pagan
rather than Hebrew.
CLAIRE
I had no idea Inverness was such a
hotbed of contemporary paganism.
FRANK
My dear, I think youll find
theres no place on earth with more
magic and superstition mixed into
its daily life than the Scottish
Highlands.
Frank grins and OPENS the door and Claire gingerly steps over
the stain before entering the inn.
LINGER a moment on the blood...
INT. MRS. BAIRDS BED & BREAKFAST - FOYER - DUSK
A few minutes later. Frank fills out the registry book while
Claire looks around. MRS. BAIRD (60s) a squat and easygoing woman, sets up their account and fetches the room key.

(CONTINUED)

6.
CONTINUED:
MRS. BAIRD
When a new house is built in these
parts, the custom -- since far back
in the Old Days -- is to kill
something and bury it under the
foundation. The blood ye saw is
that of a black cock. The houses
on this street being what ye call
yer pre-fab homes the new
residents are only just now havin
the chance to honor the old ways.
She drops her voice as if sharing an intimacy.
MRS. BAIRD (contd)
Some folks in these parts believe
that the late War was due to people
turning away from their roots and
omitting to take proper precautions
-- such as burying a sacrifice
under the foundation.
FRANK
(quick)
Or burning fish bones on the
hearth.
MRS. BAIRD
-- excepting haddocks, of course.
FRANK
-- never burn a haddocks bones or
youll never catch another.
They share a laugh.
CLAIRE
Please dont encourage him, Mrs.
Baird. My husband is a historian
and could easily stand here all day
trading ancient aphorisms.
MRS. BAIRD
A historian is it? Are ye a
professor then, Mr. Randall?
FRANK
Not officially, but soon.
CLAIRE
He has accepted a post at Oxford
beginning in two weeks.

(CONTINUED)

7.
CONTINUED: (2)
MRS. BAIRD
Ach, then this is a last holiday
before settling dun to the workaday
life again, is it? Well ye picked
a bonnie time to be here, just nigh
of the Beltane Festival.
FRANK
(to Claire)
One of the four pagan sun feasts.
Beltane being the feast of the
spring equinox.
MRS. BAIRD
Yell both be welcome, of course,
but mind ye -- ghosts are freed on
the feast days and theyll be
wandering about, free to do good or
ill as they please.
Ghosts?

CLAIRE

MRS. BAIRD
Oh, sure now, lassie.
(low)
Like up at Mountgerald, the big
house at the top of High Street?
Ay, theres a ghost. A workman
killed in the eighteenth century as
a sacrifice for the foundation.
Mrs. Baird leans forward over the wooden counter, warming to
her subject as she tells an old ghost story to the young
couple in her parlor.
MRS. BAIRD (contd)
The story goes that by order of the
houses owner, one wall was built
up first, ye see? Then a stone
block was dropped from the top of
it straight onto one of the
workmen. They buried him in the
cellar and the rest of the house
built up over him.
(beat)
To this day, he haunts the cellar
where he was killed, excepting on
Beltane, when hes freed to walk
the streets of Inverness once more.
(beat)
A word to the wise: be careful
after dark.
(CONTINUED)

8.
CONTINUED: (3)
She lets that hang in the air for a beat, leaving Claire and
Frank unsure for a moment whether theyre being had. But
then it dawns on them that shes perfectly serious.
Frank finds his voice first.
FRANK
Thank you, Mrs. Baird.
that in mind.

Well keep

MRS. BAIRD
(hands Claire key)
Yell have the room up the stairs
and first door to the left.
Breakfast is at seven and tea at
three.
CLAIRE
Thank you. Oh -- I was also
wondering if you knew of anyone in
the village with knowledge of the
plants in the area. I have a
particular interest in medicinal
herbs and Id be very interested in
learning about the local varieties.
MRS. BAIRD
I should introduce you to Mr.
Crook. He knows all about the
plants in the area, Im sure hed
be more n happy to show you.
CLAIRE
Thank you, again.
Claire and Frank head toward the stairs.
INT. MRS. BAIRDS - SECOND FLOOR LANDING/THEIR ROOM - DUSK
Moments later, Frank carries the luggage as Claire unlocks
the door and lets them into their modest, if well-kept room.
We might notice that Frank and Claire automatically separate
soon after entering the room, and that theres almost always
a physical distance between them in any given space.
FRANK
Not without its charms, certainly.
CLAIRE
Beats an army cot and a tent in the
mud.

(CONTINUED)

9.
CONTINUED:
Frank drops the luggage, sits on the bed -- it gives out a
loud SQUEAK.
FRANK
So much for marital privacy.
Claire smiles from across the room as he bounces a little and
the bed gives out progressively louder and more emphatic
SQUEAKS.
CLAIRE
You think the sound carries?
FRANK
(stops)
I think its safe to say Mrs. Baird
will be kept apprised of any
renewed attempts to start a family.
Claire plops herself down beside him.
CLAIRE
Lazybones. Youll never manage the
next branch on your family tree
unless you show a bit more industry
than that.
Claire begins energetically bouncing up and down. Frank
grins and in a flash the two of them are in danger of
breaking the rickety bed as it groans and shrieks.
INT. FOYER - DUSK
Mrs. Baird pauses in her work at the sounds coming down
through the ceiling overhead. She raises an eyebrow and goes
back to work.
INT. CLAIRE & FRANKS ROOM - DAY
Theyre laughing and bouncing on the bed -- they stop after a
moment and Claire regards him tenderly.
CLAIRE
You know, one of those things I
used to try and remember lying in
my cot in the mud: Whats the
sound of my husbands laugh? I
couldnt conjure it no matter what
I did; I couldnt hear it even
though Id heard it a million times
before. Strangest thing.
Frank takes her hand, opens the palm.
(CONTINUED)

10.
CONTINUED:
FRANK
I used to sketch this.
My hand?

CLAIRE

FRANK
The lines. Why exactly, Im not
sure, but I had a very clear memory
of this pattern. Made little
doodles everywhere. A brigadier
once dressed me down because Id
somehow managed to draw them in the
margin of a report for the
Minister.
Frank chuckles, then brings her hand to his lips, and in a
moment theyre kissing.
CLAIRE
Now that we know the bed will stand
the strain...
He gasps as her hand is suddenly inside his trousers. He
fumbles with her blouse, but Claire has taken charge here and
she has him (literally) in the palm of her hand.
CLAIRE (contd)
Lets dispense with the
preliminaries.
She hikes up her skirt and climbs on top of him. Frank gasps
as he enters her. Claire has her blouse and bra off in a
flash and she guides his hands to her breasts.
CLAIRE (contd)
Wait -- wait -- now.
He PINCHES them hard and now its her turn to gasp. She
begins rocking back and forth with increasing speed and
urgency.
INT. FOYER - DAY
Mrs. Baird is cleaning some glasses when the sound from
upstairs resumes. This time its slower, more rhythmic,
somehow sexier. Mrs. Baird reacts with a secret smile.
EXT./INT. FRANKS CAR - MOVING - DAY
The next day. Claires curls -- unruly at the best of times - are blown into utter chaos by the wind, as Frank drives.
Shes smiling, happy.
(CONTINUED)

11.
CONTINUED:
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Franks passion for history was
another reason for choosing the
Highlands.
Frank points out a passing ROCK FORMATION shaped like a
roosters tail.
FRANK
Cocknammon Rock. During the 17th
and 18th centuries, youd have
often found a British army patrol
lying there in wait for Scottish
brigands or rebels. You see how
the position commands the high
ground in every direction?
Claire tries to look interested.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Not that I minded. I was raised by
my uncle after the death of my
parents.
EXT. MIDDLE EAST - ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG - DAY - FLASHBACK
The dig is somewhere in the desert, with a TEAM of BRITISH
and NATIVE WORKERS carefully uncovering the remains of an
ancient building. YOUNG CLAIRE (11), brings her UNCLE LAMB
(40s) a KIT containing several specialized BRUSHES.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Uncle Lamb was an archeologist, so
Id spent the balance of my
formative years traipsing through
dusty ruins and various excavations
throughout the world.
Uncle Lamb uses the brushes to begin whisking away dirt from
the delicate structure theyre uncovering.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Id learned to dig latrines and
boil water, and to do a number of
other things not suitable for a
young lady of gentle birth.
Young Claire then produces and lights a cigarette with
aplomb, before deftly handing it to her uncle, who nods his
thanks absently and takes a deep, grateful drag.

12.
INT. ENGLISH LIBRARY - DAY - FLASHBACK
An archeologists library, overflowing with books and papers
in a London townhouse. A slightly older Uncle Lamb stands up
to greet Frank as he comes through the door.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
And then one day a handsome, darkhaired historian came to consult my
uncle on a point of French
philosophy as it related to
Egyptian religious practice.
Claire (now in her early twenties) steps out from behind a
stack of books, carrying a heavy tome. She sees Frank and he
sees her -- and theres a small, but clear, flash of
electricity between them.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
I was smitten from the first... and
remained smitten even through the
long years apart.
EXT. CASTLE LEOCH - DAY
The Randall car is parked outside the picturesque ruins of a
medieval SCOTTISH CASTLE. Frank walks the narrow ledge
nearby, making notes in a small journal, while Claire makes
her own way along the same grounds, examining the local flora
-- again theyre in the same location, but in different
places. The structure is abandoned, with weeds and grasses
encroaching on what were once neatly kept grounds.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
While I was with the army, Frank
had served in London -- MI6,
overseeing spies, running covert
operations, that sort of thing.
(beat)
In six years, wed seen each other
a grand total of ten days.
FRANK
From what Ive been able to gather,
Castle Leoch was the ancestral home
of the MacKenzie clan until midway
through the nineteenth century...
INT. CASTLE LEOCH - GREAT HALL - DAY
Later. Bounded on either end by large archways, the room
once served as a meeting hall, dining room, ballroom, etc.

(CONTINUED)

13.
CONTINUED:
Whatever furniture it once held is long gone, along with the
window panes and most of the decoration. What remains is
dimly illuminated by narrow shafts of daylight.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Franks new-found passion was
genealogy -- his personal
genealogy, that is.
Claire picks her way among the dirt and debris while Frank
moves about, animatedly gesturing and chattering about the
life that once filled the space.
FRANK
... I havent found any hard
evidence that my ancestor actually
visited this castle, mind you, but
it was within his operational
sphere of activities and it is just
possible that he did walk this very
hall on occasion...
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Hed become fascinated with tracing
and exploring the various branches
of his family tree. From what I
gathered, some tiresome ancestor of
Franks had had something to do
with something or other in this
region back a couple of centuries
ago.
INT. CASTLE LEOCH - SURGERY - DAY
Later. Frank puts his shoulder to an ancient wooden door,
but it wont budge. Claire pitches in and the two of them
shove OPEN a dusty door to a lower room in the castle. They
step into the room, but its hard to see anything in the
gloomy interior. A single slash of light comes from a high
slit window and all they can make out is a high-ceilinged
space crammed with broken furniture and junk.
Frank roams the room, somewhat disappointed.
near the doorway.

Claire lingers

FRANK
Just a storeroom at this point, Im
afraid. I was hoping for something
a little more indicative of its
original purpose.

(CONTINUED)

14.
CONTINUED:
CLAIRE (V.O.)
In a way, burying himself in the
distant past gave Frank an ability
to escape the recent. I knew hed
sent dozens of men behind the lines
on secret missions during the war
and that most never came back.
(beat)
He didnt talk about it very often,
but I knew it preyed on him, the
responsibility for the deaths of so
many.
CLAIRE
From the lack of proper lighting
and ventilation Id imagine this
was the province of the castle
hermit. Or perhaps a troll or two.
FRANK
I dont believe trolls live in
pairs, my dear. Solitary
creatures, they.
CLAIRE
Mores the pity. All this and no
one to share it with.
Frank flashes a quick grin, which crinkles the corners of his
eyes in a dashing way. Hes quite handsome, even in this
light, and Claire feels that rush of attraction for him once
more. She pushes some junk off a tabletop and sits on it.
FRANK
Youll get dirty...
CLAIRE
You can give me a bath...
She hikes up her dress, then cocks an eyebrow.
crosses the room toward her.

He smiles and

FRANK
Why Mrs. Randall, I do believe you
forgot your undergarments at
home...
She grins as she pulls his head down between her legs.
WIDER -- THE CASTLE
Framed by the morning sun, its shadow extends far across the
rolling hills and fields.

15.
EXT. VICARAGE - DAY
Afternoon. The manse of the Vicar is over a century old and
sits close to his church. DARK CLOUDS are settling in on the
horizon, a STORM appears to be on the way.
INT. VICARS STUDY - DAY
Frank pours over various documents on a desk. Enormous
windows let in a flood of nearly blinding light into the
study, which is currently overflowing with books, documents,
maps, and sheet after sheet of aging yellowed paper covering
virtually every surface.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Before the war, we were
inseparable. But now the war was
over and yet we were still
separated somehow. Not physically,
perhaps, but apart just the same.
FIND Claire sitting in a comfortable chair, idly watching
from across the room. Frank suddenly reacts.
Yes!

FRANK
There he is!

Ive found him!

REVEAL the REVEREND WAKEFIELD (50s, short, tubby) working in

a different section of the library.
Indeed?

REV. WAKEFIELD
Let us have a look.

CLAIRE (V.O.)
The Reverend Wakefield, Vicar of
the local parish, shared Franks
passion for genealogy. Several
long nights were spent here in
hopes that one of them might
suddenly unearth a baptismal
certificate or some other scrap of
paper related to the notorious
ancestor.
Claire rouses herself from the chair and makes her way
through the debris to where the two men are excitedly
spreading out scraps of paper.
Him...?
it?

CLAIRE
You mean... Walter was

(CONTINUED)

16.
CONTINUED:
FRANK
Jonathan, you remember, surely?
CLAIRE
Remind me, dear.
FRANK
(patient)
Jonathan Wolverton Randall. A
captain of dragoons -- mounted
infantry -- in the Royal Army.
CLAIRE
Right. Black Jack Randall, Ive
heard you call him.
FRANK
A rather dashing nickname he
acquired in the army, probably when
he was stationed here in the
1740s. What the Reverend has
discovered is a whole series of
army dispatches that mention
Captain Randall by name!
CLAIRE
Fascinating.
REV. WAKEFIELD
Isnt it? It appears he was in
command of the garrison at Fort
William for four years or so.
Seems to have spent quite a bit of
his time harassing the Scottish
countryside above the Border on
behalf of the Crown.
FRANK
He was hardly alone in that
endeavor. The English were rather
notably unpopular throughout the
Highlands in the 18th century.
CLAIRE
And well into the 20th, it would
seem. I distinctly heard the
barman at that pub last night refer
to us as Sassenachs.
REV. WAKEFIELD
I do hope you didnt take offense.
It only means Englishman, after
all, or at worst, Outlander.
(CONTINUED)

17.
CONTINUED: (2)
The housekeeper, MRS. GRAHAM (60s) ENTERS, carrying a tray
of tea and biscuits.
MRS. GRAHAM
Ive brought ye a wee bit of
refreshment, gentlemen. Ive
brought but the two cups, for I
thought perhaps Mrs. Randall would
care to join me in the kitchen for
a bit of -Yes!

CLAIRE
Yes, absolutely.

Thank you.

Grateful for the reprieve from history lessons and moldering

scraps of paper, Claire gives Frank a quick kiss and then is
out the door with the housekeeper.
INT. VICARS KITCHEN - DAY
A few minutes later, Claire sits at the table sipping tea.
CLAIRE
Mmm. Its been quite a while since
Ive tasted Oolong.
MRS. GRAHAM
Aye, I couldna get it during the
war. Its the best for the
readings, though. Had a terrible
time with that Earl Grey. The
leaves fall apart so fast, its
hard to tell anything at all.
CLAIRE
You read tea leaves, then?
MRS. GRAHAM
Why, certainly I do, my dear. Just
as my grandmother taught me, and
her grandmother before her. Drink
up your cup, and Ill see what you
have there.
Moments later, Mrs. Graham is examining the leaves at the
bottom of Claires cup with a serious expression. Finally,
she sets it down carefully, as if it might explode.
CLAIRE
(amused)
Am I going to meet a tall dark
stranger or take a journey across
the sea?
(CONTINUED)

18.
CONTINUED:
MRS. GRAHAM
Could be. Or could not.
Everything in its contradictory.
Theres the curved leaf for a
journey, but its crossed by the
broken one that means staying put.
And strangers there are, to be
sure, several of them. And one of
thems your husband, if I read the
leaves aright.
(beat)
Let me see your hand, child.
Claires amusement fades somewhat at Mrs. Grahams serious
expression as she examines Claires hand closely. A long
quiet moment before she speaks again.
MRS. GRAHAM (contd)
Odd. Most hands have a likeness to
them. Mind, Id no just say that
its, See one, youve seen them
all, but its often like that.
There are patterns, you know? But
this is not a pattern Ive seen
before. The large thumb, now?
Means youre strong-minded, and
have a will not easily crossed.
Reckon your husband could have told
ye that.
(re: base of Claires
thumb)
Heres the Mount of Venus. In a
man, yed say it means he likes the
lasses. For a woman, tis a bit
different. To be polite about it,
Id say your husband isna like to
stray far from your bed.
The elderly woman gives a bawdy chuckle and Claire blushes
slightly. Mrs. Graham goes back to her examination.
MRS. GRAHAM (contd)
The lifelines interrupted. A bit
more chopped-up, than I usually
see; all bits and pieces. Marriageline is divided... means two
marriages.
(off Claires look)
Doesna mean anythings like to
happen to your good man. Its only
that if it did, youd not be one to
pine away and waste the rest of
your life in mourning.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)

19.
CONTINUED: (2)

MRS. GRAHAM (contd)

Youd marry again.
(puzzled)
But most divided lines are broken.
Yours is... forked.

Theres something in the way she says it, something hushed

and disquieting that raises the hairs on Claires neck. But
before she can pursue the matter --- Rev. Wakefield and Frank come BASHING INTO THE KITCHEN
carrying the tea tray and cups with a great clatter.
REV. WAKEFIELD
... I suspect your ancestor had a
patron. A prominent and powerful
man who could protect him from the
censure of his superiors.
FRANK
Possibly. It would have to have
been someone high up in the
hierarchy of the time to exert that
kind of influence -(snaps his fingers)
The Duke of Sandringham!
REV. WAKEFIELD
(of course)
The Duke of Sandringham!
Mrs. Graham is up on her feet and seizing the tea tray and
cups from danger.
MRS. GRAHAM
None of that, none of that -- stand
clear before ye do some permanent
damage!
REV. WAKEFIELD
Yes, yes -- my apologies, Mrs.
Graham. I completely forgot myself
in the excitement.
FRANK
Claire, I think were onto
something at last!
CLAIRE
Im so glad to hear it. But I
think I shall take my leave.
So soon?

REV. WAKEFIELD

(CONTINUED)

20.
CONTINUED: (3)
CLAIRE
Yes, I think a good bath is well in
order.
REV. WAKEFIELD
Of course. I hope you will join us
for the feast of Beltane tomorrow
night?
CLAIRE
(amused)
The pagan festival? Why Reverend
Wakefield, you do astonish me.
REV. WAKEFIELD
I love a good ghost story as much
as the next fellow.
(with relish)
And the Old Feast Days are rife
with tales of ghosts and spirits
suddenly freed to roam about the
mortal realm as they will.
CLAIRE
You make it sound positively
spooky. In that case, I look
forward to sharing the warmth of
your table while hordes of Scottish
spectres roam the land outside.
(to Frank)
Take your time, but do try to make
it back before the storm breaks.
Franks lost searching through the papers in his hands, and
barely registers that shes leaving.
Hmmm.

FRANK
Yes. Right.

She gives him a quick peck on the cheek, then EXITS.

EXT. VILLAGE STREET - DUSK
Claire walks along the street as the weather turns nasty and
an icy wind blows her hair into shambles.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
I never, for an instant, considered
leaving Frank. I loved him still
and I knew he loved me.

(CONTINUED)

21.
CONTINUED:
She stops in front of a SHOP WINDOW and we realize that weve
returned to that moment of Claire standing in front of that
shop window staring at the VASES.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
If the second world war had taught
me anything, it was the value of
steadfastness in the face of
hardship.
INT. PASSENGER TRAIN - MOVING - DAY - FLASHBACK
Uncle Lamb playing CARDS across from Young Claire in a small
compartment as the world passes by just outside. Lamb is
trying in vain to get her to do something with her cards.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
My uncle once tried to teach me
poker, but I refused to trade any
of my cards for new ones. It
seemed wrong, cheating even, to
change just because I didnt like
what Id been dealt.
Young Claire remains impassive in the face of her uncles
entreaties, and he finally throws down his cards in defeat.
EXT. VILLAGE STREET - DUSK
Claire bundles herself more tightly against the wind and
walks away from the shop window.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
I would play the cards in my hand.
INT. MRS. BAIRDS BED & BREAKFAST - CLAIRES ROOM - NIGHT
Claire sits before the mirror, brushing her hair with dubious
results -- the curls refusing to behave despite her efforts.
She glares at the mirror.
CLAIRE
Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ...
EXT. VILLAGE STREET - NIGHT
Frank is coming up the street toward the B&B as the first
drops of RAIN begin to fall. He pulls his lapels tighter
about him and quickens his step, but the cobblestones are now
slick and treacherous. He nearly falls at one point, has to
grab a lamp post to keep his footing, then freezes in place,
staring into the gloom at --

(CONTINUED)

22.
CONTINUED:
A FIGURE
In the distance, standing at the edge of the garden of the
B&B by the fence. His features are indistinct, a combination
of the distance and the gloom of night, but Frank can tell
hes looking up at Claire, who can clearly be seen in the
upper window, struggling with her hair in the mirror.
Frank strides across the street to confront the figure. As
he approaches, he can make out more details: tall, wearing a
loose shirt, folded plaid over his shoulder, kilt and
sporran.
FRANK
Can I help you? I say, you there -can I help you with something?
No response. The rain is coming down in sheets as Frank
reaches out for the man -- who abruptly turns and brushes
past Frank and into the night. Startled, Frank looks around - whered he go? Howd he disappear so quickly? Suddenly
theres a CRASH of LIGHTNING NEARBY and the POWER GOES OUT IN
THE VILLAGE.
INT. MRS. BAIRDS BED & BREAKFAST - CLAIRES ROOM - NIGHT
Claire has lit CANDLES in the small room just as Frank throws
OPEN the DOOR allowing a DRAFT to blow in as well,
extinguishing a few of the candles. Claire relights them.
CLAIRE
Someday, you might possibly
consider entering a room with
something less than the momentum of
a Sherman tank.
He doesnt answer and Claire looks up at him.
CLAIRE (contd)
Whats the matter? Looks like
youve seen a ghost.
FRANK
As a matter of fact, Im not at all
sure that I havent.
CLAIRE
Dont tell me youve seen Mrs.
Bairds crushed workman wandering
the streets.
No.

FRANK
This was... something else.
(CONTINUED)

23.
CONTINUED:
MOMENTS LATER
Claire is pouring them short glasses of whiskey while Frank
gets out of his wet clothes. Outside, the storm is blowing
hard now, rain pelting the windows.
CLAIRE
Looking at me? Are you sure?
FRANK
Quite. We could both see you
clearly brushing your hair.
CLAIRE
Punishing my hair would be more
accurate. Whatd this fellow look
like?
FRANK
Big chap. A Scot, in complete
Highland rig-out, complete to
sporran and running-stag brooch on
his plaid.
(beat)
I only got a glimpse of his face,
but he seemed terribly unhappy
about something. When he pushed
past me, he was close enough that I
should have felt him brush my
sleeve as he passed -- but I
didnt. I turned around to say
something, but he was gone.
Vanished. Thats when I began to
feel a bit cold down the backbone.
A disquieting moment.
CLAIRE
Well, that is spooky.
Claire shakes it off, downs the rest of her drink, then
gathers the glasses to refill them.
FRANK
(quiet)
Did you have many Scots in your
charge during the war, Claire?

(CONTINUED)

24.
CONTINUED: (2)
CLAIRE
Oh, quite a few. I remember one, a
crusty old thing really, a piper
from the Third Seaforths who
couldnt stand being stuck with a
needle...
She trails off as she makes a realization.
CLAIRE (contd)
What is it youre asking me, Frank?
FRANK
When I saw that chap staring up at
you, I thought... that he might be
someone you had nursed.... someone
who might be looking for you now...
to... reconnect.
CLAIRE
Reconnect...?
FRANK
Claire, it was six years. It
wouldnt be unusual if -- I mean,
everyone knows doctors and nurses
are under tremendous stress in the
combat theater... and its just
that, well, it wouldnt be
surprising if something had -Claire is on her feet with fury.
CLAIRE
Do you think Ive been unfaithful?
Do you? Because if so, you can
leave this room this instant.
Leave the house altogether!
FRANK
(tries to take her hand)
Darling -CLAIRE
Dont you dare touch me! A strange
man looks up at my window and you
take it as evidence that Ive had
an affair with one of my patients?
Is that what you think of me?
Despite her protestations, Frank puts his arms around her,
but Claire remains stiff as a board.

(CONTINUED)

25.
CONTINUED: (3)
FRANK
(caressing her hair)
No. No, I dont think any such
thing, Claire.
(beat)
I only meant to say that even if
you ever did... it would make no
difference to me. I love you so.
Nothing you ever did could stop my
loving you.
A moment, then Claire puts her arms around him.
FRANK (contd)
Forgive me?
Lightning flashes outside the window as Frank kisses her neck
and Claire softens.
CLAIRE
The quality of mercy is not
strained. It droppeth as the
gentle dew from heaven...
Claires skirt then droppeth to the floor.
This time, the lovemaking is tender, comfortable, enjoyable.
Claire is unabashed with her body and her sensuality,
perfectly comfortable making her desires known and more than
willing to satisfy her partner. Frank is more conventional,
a little reserved in contrast to his more ravenous wife, but
game to try and keep up with her.
When its over, Claire rests her head on Franks chest as
they lie amid the wreckage of the sheets.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Sex was our bridge back to one
another. The one place we always
met. Whatever obstacles presented
themselves during the day or night,
we could seek out and find each
other again in bed.
(beat)
As long as we had that, I had faith
everything would work out.
Her eyes begin to flutter, nearly dozing off -- but Frank
reaches for the small alarm CLOCK on the side table.
CLAIRE
Mmm. Thought we werent setting
alarms on this trip...
(CONTINUED)

26.
CONTINUED: (4)
FRANK
I want to see the witches.
The what?

CLAIRE

FRANK
Theyll be at the stones before
dawn and I dont want to miss them.
CLAIRE
Must I ask?
FRANK
The vicar told me theres a circle
of standing stones on a hill just
outside the village -- their own
Stonehenge, as it were -- and that
a local group still observes
rituals there.
CLAIRE
And tomorrow being Beltane, the
witches will be out in force, I
imagine.
FRANK
Well, not witches, actually.
Although there have been witches
all over Scotland for hundreds of
years -- they burnt them til well
into the eighteenth century -- but
this lot is really meant to be
Druids, or something of the sort. I
dont suppose its actually a coven
of devil-worshippers, or that sort
of thing.
Claire snuggles in to her husbands arms.
CLAIRE
Mores the pity. Cant imagine
anything Id rather do than rise
before dawn to watch a coven of
devil-worshippers prance about in
the Highlands.
(yawn)
Where, exactly, will we be enjoying
this spectacle?
FRANK
A place called Craigh Na Dun.

(CONTINUED)

27.
CONTINUED: (5)
He blows OUT the candle.
EXT. CRAIGH NA DUN - PRE-DAWN
The MISTY flat-topped green hill abounds with natural rocks
and crags that jut out here and there, but the dominant
feature is artificial: a circle of STANDING STONES smaller
than their more famous cousins on the Salisbury Plain, but
which still are more than twice a mans height. The henge is
made of giant rocks flecked with mica, which are obviously
not part of the areas natural environment.
Claire and Frank, bundled against the chill are easing
themselves into a hidden vantage point where they can observe
the festivities about to take place among the stones in the
slowly gathering light of dawn which is just starting to
pierce the low-lying night mist.
FRANK
... the Reverend didnt know much
of the real history of the site
beyond the local folklore, which
maintains that the stones were
carried here from Africa by a race
of Celtic giants.
Claire is looking around, trying to be tolerably pleasant at
this hour.
CLAIRE
(dry)
I wasnt aware the Celts made a lot
of visits to Africa.
FRANK
Only the giant ones, it would seem.
In any case, the true origin of the
stones is lost to antiquity as well
as their original purpose.
Claire sees something o.c.
CLAIRE
Is that Inverness?
Frank follows her gaze -- the twinkling LIGHTS of the city
are glowing in the misty western horizon. A few CARS and
TRUCK HEADLIGHTS move along the roads, a TRAIN WHISTLES in
the distance, even the blinking lights of an AIRCRAFT groping
toward an unseen landing strip in the fog, all testify to the
presence of a modern city just beginning to stir.

(CONTINUED)

28.
CONTINUED:
FRANK
I should think so, yes.
(sees something else)
Oh! We should take cover.
He and Claire bustle into the shadows, just as -THE CELEBRANTS
15 WOMEN, ranging in age from late teens to sixties, appear
dressed in crude WHITE SHEETS. Silently, they walk in a line
through the stones, their LEADER guiding the way.
CLAIRE
(sotto)
Is that... Mrs. Graham?
They peer closer and sure enough, it is the housekeeper.
FRANK
(delighted)
The Vicars housekeeper is a witch.
CLAIRE
Druid, remember?
Claire giggles softly and they turn their attention back to
the ritual. At a signal from Mrs. Graham, the women take
their places in the shadows of the stones, completely
disappearing from view for the moment.
THE SUN
Begins to rise above the distant mountains, sending a SHAFT
of LIGHT across the terrain.
IN THE CIRCLE OF STONES
The SHAFT of light perfectly bisects the space between two of
the massive stones, cutting directly across the diameter of
the circle and straight into the face of a WOMAN standing
there waiting in the dark.
Her ENORMOUS distorted SHADOW is cast back onto another
plinth, and as she slowly raises her arms, the image on the
sloping stone face seems to reach out with clawed hands in an
image both strange and threatening.
The rest of the women form lines within the circle and begin
to DANCE. Their expressions are blank, still -- almost as if
they were in some kind of trance.

(CONTINUED)

29.
CONTINUED: (2)
As Claire and Frank watch in fascination, the women move in
and out of geometric formations as the sun continues to rise
above the distant hills.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
They should have been ridiculous,
and perhaps they were. A
collection of women in bedsheets,
many of them stout and far from
agile, parading in circles on top
of a hill.
(beat)
But the hairs on the back of my
neck prickled at the sight... and
some small voice inside warned me I
wasnt supposed to be here... that
I was an unwelcome voyeur to
something ancient and powerful.
Claires right, there is something unsettling about the
ceremony, something that seems to touch onto deeper chords of
memory and prehistory than simple village tradition. The
shadows seem filled with whispers, the night air alive with
ancient sprites -- something old and powerful being venerated
and awakened in these hills.
Suddenly she begins to hear a HUM in the air.
what direction its coming from.

Cant make out

CLAIRE
(sotto)
You hear that?
Hmm...?

FRANK

But then, the ceremony ends and the hum FADES AWAY. The
single womans shadow on the stone finally reduced to
something more familiar and mortal. The suns light now
strikes the great SPLIT STONE on the opposite side of the
henge. The dancers now all join the woman and follow her in
a careful line, walking though the cleft in the split stone
and out down the hillside.
FRANK (contd)
Fascinating.
MOMENTS LATER
Frank and Claire are down amid the stones themselves, the
women now gone. Frank is taking notes in his journal,
sketching the stones, making diagrams, etc.

(CONTINUED)

30.
CONTINUED: (3)
Claire, meanwhile, is more interested in the various PLANTS
growing around the stones. One in particular catches her
attention: a VINE growing around the base of a stone with
deep blue flowers and an orange center.
Shes starting to bend down to examine it closer when Frank
suddenly grabs her arm and pulls her quickly into hiding
behind a stone. Her question is immediately silenced by his
finger to her lips and she waits breathless for a moment
before peering around the corner to see --- a WOMAN has returned to the henge. Now back in her street
clothes and looking much more like the housewife than druid,
celebrant, she walks the grounds for a moment looking for
something. Finally, she locates a lost HAIR CLIP in the
grass. Rather than make her way back down the path, however,
she decides to sit down and contemplate the beauty of the
area in the quiet morning sun.
Frank and Claire manage to creep away without getting her
attention and make their way back down the hill unobserved.
The woman stays on the hill, bathed in sunlight.
INT. MRS. BAIRDS BED & BREAKFAST - PARLOR - DAY
Later. Claire sits in an armchair, leafing through a BOOK.
Frank comes down the stairs, sees her and comes over.
FRANK
What are you doing?
CLAIRE
Looking for that plant. The one I
saw in the stone circle. It could
be in the Campanulaceae family, or
the Gentianaceae, the
Polemoniaceae, the Boraginaceae -you know, Forget-me-nots. Thats
most likely. I dont think it was
a gentian of any kind; the petals
werent really rounded...
FRANK
Why not go back and get it? The
rituals complete, I doubt any of
the celebrants will be returning.
And if they did, theres nothing
wrong with a visitor coming to
examine the site or gather the
local flora.
CLAIRE
Care to go with me?
(CONTINUED)

31.
CONTINUED:
FRANK
I have an appointment with the
Vicar.
(with relish)
Going through an entire box of
materials we found last night.
Bills of sale from Captain
Randalls own quartermaster!
CLAIRE
Much more exciting, Im sure.
fun. Love you.
Love you.

Have

FRANK

They exchange quick kisses.

EXT. CRAIGH NA DUN - DAY
THE BLUE-FLOWERED PLANT is tucked next to the base of a huge
standing stone. Claires hand reaches down to examine it.
In the full light of day, the standing stones are far less
menacing and shes relaxed as she takes some clippings from
the vine and folds them carefully in a handkerchief.
Gradually, she becomes aware of that SAME HUMMING, like what
a beehive might produce. Claire looks around, curiously.
After a few seconds, she zeroes in on the source, which is
not a hive, but actually the largest of the stones, the one
with a huge SPLIT running down the middle. Standing right
next to the stone, the humming is loud and Claire puts a hand
out to touch the smooth surface --- the stone SCREAMS. Claire backpedals, falls down. The
scream was unnatural, otherworldly. The world begins to
vibrate in Claires perception, as her senses are suddenly
aware of sound and movement not normally perceived in the
natural world. All around her, SOUNDS of BATTLE emanate from
the other stones on the hilltop: screaming men, musketry,
terrified horses, the clang of metal weapons.
Claire staggers to her feet, shaking her head in a vain
attempt to clear it, as the world starts to spin and tilt in
her mind. The cacophony grows more intense and her vision
blurs as Claire stumbles forward, trying to find escape in
any direction. Her uncertain footsteps take her to the cleft
stone and she reaches out with a hand once more --

(CONTINUED)

32.
CONTINUED:
DARKNESS SHOT THROUGH WITH BOLTS OF LIGHT
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Once, traveling at night, I fell
asleep in the passenger seat of a
moving car, lulled by the noise and
motion into an illusion of serene
weightlessness. Then the driver
took a bridge too fast and lost
control, and I woke from my
floating dream looking into the
glare of oncoming headlights and
the sickening sensation of falling
at high speed. That is as close as
I can come to describing what I
experienced... but it falls
woefully short.
The world is bursting with white noise and dark light, then -Quiet.
EXT. CRAIGH NA DUN - DAY
Claire opens her eyes. Shes still lying at the foot of the
cleft stone. The sun still in the sky. She sits up and
immediately notices that the stones have ceased screaming.
But the noise of battle still travels through the air as
Claire gets to her feet, in a daze. Not sure whats going
on, but sure that she wants to get away from these stones,
Claire scrambles away --- SLIPS and falls, ends up sliding and scrambling down the
hill.
EXT. WOODS/CLEARING - DAY
Claire finally comes to a stop in a small GROVE of TREES.
She sits there for a moment at the base of a tree, trying to
gather her wits. A commotion from o.c. causes her to look up
and see THREE MEN wearing kilts, running across a clearing in
the distance. The POP-POP-POP of gunshots echo across the
field just before SIX REDCOAT SOLDIERS, armed with MUSKETS,
come running in hot pursuit of the Scots.
Claire gets a little blearily to her feet.
neck, checking for some kind of injury.

Rubs her head and

CLAIRE (V.O.)
When suddenly confronted with the
impossible, the rational mind will
grope in all directions, searching
for logical explanations.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)

33.
CONTINUED:

CLAIRE (V.O.) (cont'd)

I, myself, came to the quite
reasonable conclusion that I had
stumbled onto the set of a cinema
company filming a costume drama of
some sort -- one of those Bonnie
Prince in the heather things that
seemed to play in every theater in
London.

Just then, YELLING and SHOUTING from somewhere brings her

attention back to the clearing just as FIVE SCOTS on HORSES
come thundering from the opposite direction, yelling in
Gaelic and heading right toward her. Claire has the presence
of mind to step quickly and nimbly out of their way as they
charge into the clearing.
Suddenly theres the sound of a couple of MUSKETS FIRING and
a split second later a random ball SMACKS the tree trunk
right next to her. She gapes at the tree for a second.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
But my mind could find no logical
explanation for actors to fire live
ammunition.
She turns and plunges into the woods.
ON CLAIRES LEGS
As she runs through the woods, the branches and underbrush
lashing at her, we suddenly realize that Claire was the woman
running through the woods at the top of the show.
She nearly falls, steadies herself against a tree and then is
GRABBED FROM BEHIND.
Taken unaware, shes helpless for a moment, but when her eyes
focus on her abductors face, her expression turns to
outrage.
Frank!
about?

CLAIRE
What the devil are you
You almost gave me...

But her voice trails off as she realizes that the man
standing before her is not, in fact, her husband although the
resemblance to Frank is uncanny [and is played by the same
actor].
CLAIRE (contd)
Youre not Frank.

(CONTINUED)

34.
CONTINUED: (2)
CAPTAIN JACK RANDALL (30s) wears a white shirt with cuffs,
his long hair tied back with a leather thong, his skin deeply
tanned, and a roughness about his features. He looks at her
with a searching, piercing gaze. Theres something innately
dangerous about an encounter with Jack Randall, like
stumbling onto a big cat alone in the woods.
No.

JACK RANDALL
I am not.

Claire backs up a couple of steps as Jack Randall eyes her

with interest, his gaze unabashedly taking in the clear
outlines of her body beneath the sheer summer dress and
lingering on her exposed legs. Claire bumps into a tree and
stops just as Randall turns away and picks up a coat -- a
REDCOAT. An 18th century British Army officers coat.
Ignoring her for the moment, he dresses and buckles on his
sword belt.
CLAIRE
Who the bloody hell are you...?
JACK RANDALL
I am, madam, Jonathan Randall,
Esquire, Captain of His Majestys
Eighth Dragoons. At your service.
Claire turns and RUNS headlong through the woods. Shes
slashed and whipped by branches and leaves, but pays them no
mind in her sudden, panicked reaction. But she doesnt get
very far before shes KNOCKED DOWN from behind by Randall,
who pursued her and now PINS her to the ground. She
struggles, but hes much stronger and forces her back down.
Let me go!

CLAIRE

JACK RANDALL
Oh, its like that, is it?
The more she struggles, the more it eggs Randall on. He
kisses her hard, forcing his tongue into her mouth for a
moment before pulling back
JACK RANDALL (contd)
You havent the smell of dung on
your skin, so you havent been with
a farmer. For that matter, you
look a bit more expensive than the
local cottars could afford.
(beat)
I like expensive things.

(CONTINUED)

35.
CONTINUED: (3)
He leans down again, but now Claire SCREAMS into his ear, he
jerks back and she brings up a KNEE into his crotch. He
falls off her in pain and she scrambles up, but she comes
face to face with a ROCK WALL and before Claire can find a
way out, Randall has rolled to his feet and blocks her path
to safety.
CLAIRE
My husband is expecting me. Hell
come looking for me if Im not back
in ten minutes.
Randalls eyes go feral as the big cat senses his prey is
cornered and flailing about.
JACK RANDALL
Your husband? Whats his name and
why does he allow his wife to
wander the woods alone in her
shift?
CLAIRE
I dont answer to you.
She tries to bolt past him, but hes faster and THROWS her
back with a force that nearly takes her off her feet.
JACK RANDALL
Skin of a lady, French scent in
your hair... that could all be
managed with money from your
patron... but youve the speech of
a lady as well.
Claire backs up, finding only the rock wall behind her.
Randall advances, the time for games drawing to a close.
JACK RANDALL (contd)
You intrigue me, madam. Whores are
usually so dull and obvious. I
look forward to plumbing your
depths.
Suddenly hes on her and Claire is completely overpowered.
Strong, powerful fingers dig into her throat and shove her
against the rock, his knees forcing her legs apart and his
free hand reaching below her skirt --- a MAN comes CRASHING down on Randall from above. A wellplaced blow to the head from a powerful fist, and Randall
lies on the ground, unconscious. The man, MURTAGH (30s)
wears a ragged shirt and filthy kilt, with pock-marked skin
and a swarthy complexion.
(CONTINUED)

36.
CONTINUED: (4)
This way.

MURTAGH

He grabs Claire by the arm and jerks her into the woods.
EXT. HILLSIDE - DAY
Murtagh is dragging Claire down the hillside.
CLAIRE
Who the hell are you? Where are we
going? I said, WHERE ARE WE-He suddenly whirls, puts a hand over her mouth and throws her
bodily to the ground, pinning her there with his weight. She
struggles, wide-eyed and expecting the worst. In the
distance, we suddenly HEAR ENGLISH VOICES in the distance.
Claire struggles wildly, hoping to cry out for help. She
bites down on Murtaghs hand, but instead of releasing her,
he smashes a ROCK into her head -CUT TO BLACK.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
I wanted it to be a dream.
knew it wasnt.

But I

FADE IN:
EXT. COTTAGE - DUSK
Claire comes to on HORSEBACK, sitting in front of Murtagh,
who keeps her upright on the saddle. They come to a stop
outside an old COTTAGE amid a copse of trees on a hilltop.
fine MIST is in the air as they dismount, Murtagh handling
her easily.

CLAIRE (V.O.)
If nothing else, my erstwhile
savior fairly reeked of odors too
foul to be part of any dream I was
likely to conjure up.
Claire doesnt protest as he unties her hands, then guides
her through the door of the cottage.
INT. COTTAGE - DUSK
Claires eyes take a moment to adjust to the blaze of light
inside from CANDLES, OIL LAMPS and a FIRE in the hearth of
the single-room cottage.

(CONTINUED)

37.
CONTINUED:
A group of rough-looking MEN in KILTS and Highlander rigs are
drinking, tending various wounds, and talking in low voices
as they ENTER. Their bearded leader -- DOUGAL (40s) -looks up.
DOUGAL
What is it you have there, Murtagh?
MURTAGH
A sassenach wench, by her speech.
Murtagh brings her to where Dougal sits by the fire, a hunk
of bread in his hand. Her dress is torn in several places
and theres a fair amount of breast and thigh exposed.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
I decided that clutching at the
remnants of my torn dress like a
frightened child would only invite
more predatory interest.
Claire pulls away from Murtaghs grip and stands tall before
Dougal with a calm, steady expression on her face.
DOUGAL
A bonny one, sassenach or no.
Whats your name, lass?
CLAIRE
Claire... Claire Beauchamp
[pronouncing it Bee-cham].
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Using my maiden name was a spur of
the moment decision. If they
intended to ransom me, I didnt
want to lead them back to Frank.
DOUGAL
Beauchamp? [French pronunciation.]
A French name, it is, surely?
CLAIRE
Thats right. And just what do you
think youre -Dougal ignores her as he would a child or a dog who suddenly
decided to yap at him.
DOUGAL
(to Murtagh)
Where did ye find her?

(CONTINUED)

38.
CONTINUED: (2)
MURTAGH
At the foot o Craigh na Dun havin
words with a certain Captain of
dragoons wi whom we are acquent.
The men in the room get the reference to Randall -- clearly
they all know him and dont think very highly of the captain.
MURTAGH (contd)
There seemed to be some question as
to whether the lady was or was not
a whore.
A few muttered comments as they eye her tattered garments.
DOUGAL
And what was the ladys position
in this discussion?
I.

Am.

CLAIRE
Not.

That amuses the group. A large, fat man -- RUPERT (30s) -then moves toward Claire with a leer.
RUPERT
We could put it to the test.
Claire refuses to shrink back from the huge bulk moving
toward her, but its an effort.
DOUGAL
That will do, Rupert. I dont hold
wi rape and weve not the time for
it, anyway.
MURTAGH
Dougal, Ive no idea what she might
be, or who -- but Ill stake my
best shirt shes no a whore.
Dougal looks her over one more time.
DOUGAL
Well puzzle it out later. Weve
got a good distance to go tonight
and we mun do something for Jamie
first; he canna ride like that.
Dougal gets up and the men part for him as he heads over to
the fire. Claire, forgotten for the moment, retreats to one
of the shadows, happy to no longer be the center of
attention.
(CONTINUED)

39.
CONTINUED: (3)
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Escape was my chief concern. But
escape to where? I had no idea
where I was and trying to find the
road back to Inverness in the dark
felt like a fools errand.
AT THE FIRE
JAMIE MACKENZIE FRASER (22) a young man, with a shock of red
hair, sits on a stool, rocking back and forth in pain as he
clutches one shoulder with the opposite hand.
Dougal comes over and gently pulls away the protective hand,
while Murtagh quickly cuts away the dirty, blood-soaked linen
shirt with a knife. Several men gasp at the sight of Jamies
shoulder: a bloody wound still flowing freely down his
chest, but the real horror is the shoulder joint itself and
the way his arm hangs at an unnatural angle.
DOUGAL
Out o joint, poor bugger.
JAMIE
Fell wi my hand out when the
musket ball knocked me off my
saddle. I landed with all my
weight on the hand, and crunch!
There it went.
CLAIRE
Still trying to think in the shadows.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
I tried to comfort myself with the
thought that Frank would have the
entire constabulary of Inverness
turned out looking for me by now.
BY THE FIRE
Rupert peers at the wound.
RUPERT
The wounds no trouble. The ball
went right through, and its clean - the bloods runnin free enough.
I dont know quite what to do about
the disjointure, though. You canna
ride with it that way, can you,
Jamie lad?

(CONTINUED)

40.
CONTINUED: (4)
JAMIE
Hurts bad enough sitting still.
couldna manage a horse.

Dougal ponders that for a moment and the men all fall quiet,
waiting for his decision. Claire watches them.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
I recognized the faces in the room.
They were hard men.
Not tough
men whose pose is often more
pretense than reality, but hard.
Id seen faces like these in the
war. Faces inured to living with
brutality and death every day.
Eyes that looked out at the world
from inside deep shadows where
daylight never reached.
(beat)
The wisest course of action was to
keep my head down, my mouth shut,
and wait for the search parties.
DOUGAL
Dinna worrit yourself. I dont
mean to be leaving him behind.
RUPERT
No help for it, then. Well have
to try and force the joint back.
Here, lad.
He uncorks a leather flask and Jamie takes a drink, coughing
and gagging at the raw spirit.
RUPERT (contd)
Murtagh, you and Charlie hold him;
Ill give it a try.
Rupert grabs hold of Jamies wrist as the other two get a
firm grip on the young man. Jamie braces himself as Rupert
gets ready to yank on the arm with all his might -- but
suddenly Claires voice cuts through the room like a clang of
steel.
CLAIRE (O.S.)
DONT YOU DARE!
The men are slightly taken aback as Claire forces her way
through them to get to the wounded man.

(CONTINUED)

41.
CONTINUED: (5)
CLAIRE (contd)
Youll break his arm if you do it
like that. Out of the way, please.
Surprisingly, they do as theyre told and step back.
examines the shoulder professionally for a moment.

Claire

CLAIRE (contd)
You have to get the bone of the
upper arm at the proper angle
before it will slip back into its
joint.
She takes Jamies wrist and pulls it up, while turning the
elbow in.
CLAIRE (contd)
(to Jamie)
This is the worst part.
JAMIE
It canna hurt much worse than it
does. Get on wi it.
Claire cups his elbow, then has to use all her strength to
force the limb up, feeling for the moment it will pop back
into the socket. Sweat breaks out on her forehead, and Jamie
grimaces, but theres no sound in the room except the soft
muttering of the fire. Finally, theres a soft CRUNCHING POP
and the arm is back in the socket. The relief on Jamies
face is immediate and obvious.
JAMIE (contd)
It doesna hurt anymore!
The men are amazed and look at each other in wonder.
carefully bends the arm across Jamies torso.

Claire

CLAIRE
It will. It will be tender for
several days. You musnt extend
the joint at all for two or three
days; when you do use it again, go
very slowly at first. Stop at once
if it begins to hurt, and use warm
compresses on it daily.
Another man -- NEDDIE (20s) -- ENTERS the cottage in the
b.g. and motions to Dougal.
Dougal?

NEDDIE

(CONTINUED)

42.
CONTINUED: (6)
Dougal goes to speak with him near the door.
JAMIE
Im taking a guess youve dun this
before.
CLAIRE
Im a nurse.
His eyes drop to her breasts.
CLAIRE (contd)
Not that kind of nurse.
NEAR THE WINDOW
Dougal and Neddie speaking in low tones.
NEDDIE
Two patrols moving this way from
the south. Taking they time about
it, but leaving no stone unturned.
DOUGAL
Cant stay here much longer, then.
NEDDIE
Continue on, ye thinking?
DOUGAL
Not with redcoats on our scent.
NEDDIE
We dinna made many gains in our
task to be headin back so soon.
DOUGAL
Time enough later. I weel explain
to Colum. Bragh Stuart.
NEDDIE
Bragh Stuart.
AT THE FIRE
CLAIRE (CONTD)
The wound needs to be disinfected
before it can be dressed.
MURTAGH
Dis-in-fect..?

(CONTINUED)

43.
CONTINUED: (7)
CLAIRE
(impatient)
The dirt must be removed from the
wound and it must be treated with a
compound to discourage germs and
promote healing.
Germs...?

MURTAGH

CLAIRE
Just get me some iodine.
(off his blank look)
Merthiolate?
(again)
Dilute carbolic?
(not a chance)
Alcohol?
Relieved at hearing a word he recognizes, Murtagh pushes a
flask into her hands. She rolls her eyes a bit, but decides
its better than nothing.
CLAIRE (contd)
Thisll hurt.
JAMIE
It all hurts.
She pours the alcohol over the open wound, then looks about
for something to dress it with.
CLAIRE
Now I need a sterile bandage or
piece of clean cloth.
The men look at each other blankly.
CLAIRE (contd)
Surely there must be a single piece
of clean cloth among you?
The men look at one another in a mixture of shame and
confusion.
CLAIRE (contd)
Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ.
Without other options, she seizes the hem of her dress and
TEARS off a few wide strips. In quick order, she makes a
dressing for the wound, just as Dougal pushes his way back to
them.

(CONTINUED)

44.
CONTINUED: (8)
DOUGAL
Can you ride, lad?
Aye.
Good.

JAMIE
DOUGAL
Were leaving.

At that, the men start to head to the door.

CLAIRE
Not so fast -- youll need a sling
to keep that arm still.
She and Jamie both glance down at her torn hem.
JAMIE
Use much more o that and ye wont
be leaving much to the imagination.
She shoots him a look, then begins to tear off strips from
his own tattered shirt.
AT THE DOOR
Rupert pauses with Dougal.
RUPERT
What of the lass?
DOUGAL
Shell come with us.
RUPERT
Why do ye no just leave her here?
DOUGAL
If shes an English spy, we canna
risk leaving her here to tell them
which way weve gone. And if shes
no spy, well, Ill not leave a
defenseless woman here in her
nightshift.
RUPERT
Colum may no appreciate ye bringing
a guest home at this delicate
time.
DOUGAL
Leave Colum to me.

(CONTINUED)

45.
CONTINUED: (9)
RUPERT
Shes English, and ye know how
Colum feels about having sassenach
eyes on his lands, much less in his
home -DOUGAL
(sharp)
Thas tween my brother and me.
Ill thank ye to stay out of it.
If Colum wants to bury her in the
woods, then Ill no lift a finger
to stop him, ye can be sure of
that.
Dougal storms out.
EXT. COTTAGE - NIGHT
A few minutes later, the men are outside the cottage and
climbing onto waiting HORSES. Claire comes out with the
white-faced and weak Jamie -- now we can see hes quite tall.
Claire gapes at the view from the hilltop -- the STARS and
the MOON are out and provide a glorious display, but Claire
is looking toward the distant horizon with shock.
CLAIRE
Where is it? Wheres the city? We
should be able to see it from here.
Inverness?
it.

JAMIE
Yer looking straight at

He points with his good hand. But now, instead of the

sparkling, twinkling lights that Claire saw earlier, the city
is nothing but a bunch of inky smudges just below the
horizon.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
The lights of the city shouldve
been visible for miles. The
electric lights, that is. But
there were no electric lights as
far as the eye could see. In fact,
I hadnt seen a single electric
bulb or a power cord, or a socket
all night.
(beat)
The implications of that
observation chilled me to the bone.

(CONTINUED)

46.
CONTINUED:
Dougal seizes her by the arm and propels her toward a horse.
One of the men is holding the bridle and whispering Gaelic
reassurances into the animals ear.
DOUGAL
Jamie, get yourself up.
As Jamie painfully swings up into the saddle, Dougal pulls
Claire closer to him.
DOUGAL (contd)
If Jamie canna manage one-handed
you can hold the reins. But do ye
take care to stay close wi the
rest of us. Should ye try anythin
else, I shall cut your throat.
Dye understand me?
Chilled, Claire nods, then he releases her.
She stares at him, uncomprehending.

He bends down.

DOUGAL (contd)
Gimme yer foot.
She takes a beat, realizes that by getting on this horse,
shes committing herself to -- something. But theres little
choice and at last, she steps into his hand and he hauls her
up into the saddle in front of Jamie. She cant help
jostling him around in the process.
CLAIRE
You all right?
So far.
still.

JAMIE
But tis a young night

He gives her an easy grin and helps her settle into place
with his one good arm.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Dozens of wounded soldiers had
tried to smile through their pain
for my benefit. But this was
different. The young man they
called Jamie wasnt putting on an
act. And I instantly knew he had
endured terrible pain in his short
life and wasnt afraid of the
prospect of more to come.

(CONTINUED)

47.
CONTINUED: (2)
Up ahead Dougal gives a nod and the entire party of
Highlanders spur their horses as one and they trot down the
road into the darkness.
EXT. WOODS/OPEN TERRAIN - RIDING - VARIOUS SHOTS - NIGHT
They ride quickly and silently through the woods, ducking in
and out of groves of trees and then bolting across open
ground. Through it all, Claire bounces along, held firmly to
her saddle by Jamies strong legs and one good arm.
EXT. ROADSIDE - NIGHT
Later. The party has paused for a moment in the shadows at
the side of the road, while Dougal confers with Rupert.
Claire shivers, her thin
protection from the cold
letting the horse wander
to twist and turn in his

cotton dress providing virtually no

night air. Jamie drops the reins,
about and eat some grass, and begins
saddle.

CLAIRE
Careful! Dont twist like that, or
your dressing will come off! What
are you trying to do?
JAMIE
Get my plaid loose to cover you.
Youre shivering.
CLAIRE
Oh. Well. Thank you, but Im
fine, really.
JAMIE
Youre shaking so hard its making
my teeth rattle.
Claire almost smiles at that, softens slightly.
CLAIRE
I wasnt expecting a nighttime ride
when I dressed today.
JAMIE
The plaid will keep us both warm,
but I canna do it one-handed.
Can
ye reach the clasp of my brooch?
Claire awkwardly reaches around and with a bit of a struggle
they manage to loosen the wide plaid cloth from Jamies
shoulder.

(CONTINUED)

48.
CONTINUED:
JAMIE (contd)
We dinna want ye to freeze before
we get there.
He gives it a smooth, practiced twirl and then has it wrapped
around the two of them like a great woolen blanket. The
effect is immediate and Claire gratefully snuggles against
him, soaking up the delicious warmth to ward off the chill.
CLAIRE
Where are we going?
JAMIE
Tell ye the truth, lassie, I dont
know. Reckon well both find out
when we get there, eh?
He grins at her, and again, shes disarmed enough by his
manner that she almost returns the grin -- almost. They head
out once more.
EXT. HIGHLANDS - NIGHT
Later. Dougal leads his men through an open area of terrain,
hugging the rocks and cliffs, as Claire begins to recognize
the rock formations up ahead.
CLAIRE
I know this place...
JAMIE
Been through here before have ye?
CLAIRE
Yes... I recognize that rock... the
one that looks like a rooster
tail... it has a name...
JAMIE
Cocknammon Rock.
-- FLASHBACK
Claire and Frank riding in their open car.
FRANK
Cocknammon Rock. During the 17th
and 18th centuries, youd have
often found a British army patrol
lying there in wait for Scottish
brigands or rebels.

(CONTINUED)

49.
CONTINUED:
RESUME
CLAIRE
The English use it for ambushes!
They could be lying in wait right
now.
Jamie peers up at the rocks looming ahead.
JAMIE
Its a bonnie place for an ambush,
all right.
He spurs the horse and it leaps forward, covering the
distance between them and Dougal in a matter of seconds.
Once theyre closer, Jamie speaks to the leader in low,
urgent tones.
JAMIE (contd)
(in Gaelic)
The lass thinks the redcoats might
use Cocknammon Rock as cover for an
ambush.
DOUGAL
(Gaelic)
The lass thinks?
JAMIE
(Gaelic)
Aye -- and I must say it makes
sense to me.
Dougal thinks for a beat, then holds up a hand and reins his
horse to a STOP. The rest of the men follow suit. Dougal
turns to Claire with a hard look.
DOUGAL
Now youll be telling exactly how
and why you come to know there be
an ambush up ahead.
CLAIRE
I dont know, but Ive heard that
the redcoats use Cocknammon -DOUGAL
Where did you hear this?
CLAIRE
In... the village.

(CONTINUED)

50.
CONTINUED: (2)
DOUGAL
From who did you -But then there are FLASHES OF LIGHT and THE POPPING OF
MUSKETS from the rocks around Cocknammon Rock and the sound
of BULLETS whizzing through the air around them. One mans
HORSE is hit and goes down.
Dougal reacts instantly, gives a GAELIC SHOUT to his men and
they immediately SPLIT INTO TWO GROUPS: Dougal, Rupert and
Neddie spur their horses to the gallop and charge directly
toward the rocks, while Jamie, Murtagh and two others wheel
their mounts and circle around to the right.
Claire has to hold on for her life at the horses sudden
motion, but before she can get her wits about her, Jamie
grabs her around the torso with his good arm and TOSSES HER
FROM THE HORSE into a BUSH, where she lands hard, but safe.
THE REDCOATS
Hidden among the rocks.

Captain Randall suddenly stands up.

JACK RANDALL
Fix BAYONETS!
The men begin to fix the long blades to their weapons.
Meanwhile Randall takes careful aim at one of the Highlanders
with a PISTOL. He FIRES --- the bullet whizzes past Dougals head in the darkness.
Dougal leans forward, his blood up and his expression
ferocious as he lets out a ROAR of battle. The other
Highlanders pick up the YELL and the sound unnerves the
redcoats as they fumble with their equipment in the dark.
Port ARMS!

JACK RANDALL (contd)

The soldiers whip their muskets diagonally across their

chests. The Highlanders are nearly on top of them now and
the soldiers are getting scared.
Pre-SENT!

JACK RANDALL (contd)

They thrust the bayonets forward, the wicked tips ready for
the on coming rush.
JACK RANDALL (contd)
Stand fast! STAND FAST!

(CONTINUED)

51.
CONTINUED: (3)
DOUGAL
Swerves away at the last second, the other two men swerving
at exactly the same moment.
THE REDCOATS
Mystified at the sudden change. Randall narrows his eyes for
a beat, then realizing a moment too late -JACK RANDALL (contd)
WHEEL ABOUT! THEYRE BEHIND -JAMIE
And the other Highlanders are suddenly on top of them from
the rear. The redcoats are confused and scattered by the
attack. Jamie leaps/falls from his horse and crashes into
two soldiers, knocking them senseless before they know whats
happening.
CLAIRE - A HUNDRED YARDS AWAY FROM THE FIGHT
Unwinds herself from the bush and the plaid (which she was
swaddled in) and gets to her feet. From this distance, she
can only see the flash of PISTOLS, SPARKS from steel swords
and bayonets clanging against one another, and hear the
sounds of desperate men locked in a life or death battle in
the dark.
She turns away from the sights and sounds of the battle and
strikes out on her own.
DOUGAL
And his men now re-enter the fight, adding to the violent
chaos as the redcoats are forces to fight in all directions.
COPSE OF TREES
A few minutes later, Claire is struggling through trees and
underbrush, trying to make headway over uneven and unfamiliar
ground. She stumbles and falls, tries to keep going despite
the difficulties.
THE FIGHT
-- Rupert slashes at a redcoat soldier, dropping him in his
tracks.
-- Murtagh is locked in an intense battle with a redcoat who
knows exactly how to use his bayonet.

(CONTINUED)

52.
CONTINUED: (4)
-- Dougal going sword to sword with a SERGEANT.
-- Jamie dispatches a redcoat, then turns and is suddenly
confronted with Jack Randall. Theres a moment of
recognition between the two men -You --

JACK RANDALL (contd)

Jamie snarls and takes a step toward Randall, but suddenly

TWO REDCOATS charge at him with bayonets from his blind side
just as Murtagh appears and attacks Randall. The upshot
being that both Jamie and Randall lose sight of one another
in the confusion of the fight.
Randall ends up pitching head first down some rocks and being
knocked unconscious. Murtagh ignores him and rejoins the
fight.
Jamie dispatches the redcoats and whirls around, searching
for Randall. He spots him at the bottom of the hill,
unconscious. With a snarl, he starts to move toward him, but
Dougal lays a heavy hand on him -DOUGAL
No time for that now lad!
Jamie has little choice. With a last glance down at
Randalls form, Jamie heads off with Dougal.
EXT. CROSSROADS - NIGHT
A short time later. Claire is having a hard time of it.
Its easy to get disoriented and she ends up changing
direction more than once. Finally, she comes to a stop at
what appears to be a CROSSROADS, with a few rough paths
coming together. She looks up at the brilliant night sky,
hunting through the stars for -VOICE
North star be over there.
Claire jumps back with a startled yell -- and finds Jamie
pointing to the sky from a short distance away.
JAMIE
Didna mean to frighten ye.
Claire, refusing to admit that, pulls herself up and adopts
her best tone of the hospital scold.

(CONTINUED)

53.
CONTINUED:
CLAIRE
Hope you havent been misusing that
shoulder.
JAMIE
(massaging shoulder)
Yon wee stramash didna do it any
good.
Claire then notices FRESH BLOOD across his shirt.
quickly moves to him, her instincts taking over.

She

CLAIRE
Youre hurt! Have you broken open
your shoulder wound, or is it
fresh? Sit down and let me see!
He does as hes told, sitting on a rock and letting her look
him over.
JAMIE (CONTD)
This lot isna my blood. Not much
of it anyway.
CLAIRE
(a little queasy)
Oh...
JAMIE
Dougal and the others will be
waiting by the road. Lets go.
He takes her by the arm and moves to leave, but she decides
to make her stand here.
No!

CLAIRE
Im not going with you!

Jamie isnt vexed at all, looks at her with slight amusement

JAMIE
Yes, you are.
CLAIRE
And what if I wont?
to cut my throat?

Are you going

JAMIE
Why, no. You dont look heavy. If
ye wont walk, I shall pick you up
and sling ye over my shoulder. Do
ye want me to do that?

(CONTINUED)

54.
CONTINUED: (2)
No!

CLAIRE

Claire immediately regrets the note of alarm in answer.

retreats into her professional mien once more.

She

CLAIRE (contd)
I mean... you cant do that.
Youll damage your shoulder again.
JAMIE
Well then, since ye dont want me
to hurt myself, I suppose that
means as youre comin with me?
Theres that grin again, and Claire realizes that she really
doesnt have any options here. Keeping her head held high,
she walks with him back into the trees.
EXT. CREEK - NIGHT
A few minutes later, Jamie and Claire have rejoined Dougal
and the others near a small creek. The men are in good
spirits, laughing and talking in the dark about the fight as
they mount their horses. They all seem to be accounted for,
so evidently they got the better of the redcoats.
Jamie swings up onto their horse and Claire scrambles aboard
once more -- this time he grunts in pain as she bumps his bad
shoulder.
CLAIRE
Serves you right, brawling round
the countryside and chasing through
bushes and rocks. Youve probably
got torn muscles as well as
bruises.
JAMIE
Well, it wasna much of a choice.
If Id not moved my shoulder, I
wouldna have ever moved anything
else again. I can handle a single
redcoat wi one hand -- maybe even
two of them. But not three.
(beat)
Besides, ye can fix it for me again
when we get where were going.
CLAIRE
Thats what you think.
Rupert rides over, lifts a flask in salute to Claire.
(CONTINUED)

55.
CONTINUED:
RUPERT
Heres to you, lassie! For tipping
us to the villains in the rocks and
giving us a bit o fun!
The men CHEER and they drink up from hidden flasks. Claire
isnt all that moved by the celebration. Jamie pulls out his
own flask and hands it to Claire.
JAMIE
Better have a wee nip. It willna
fill your belly, but it will make
ye forget youre hungry.
She hesitates, but then takes a nip, grateful for the heat it
generates within.
EXT. MOORS - NIGHT
The party is riding quietly, but quickly through the moors,
expertly avoiding the boggy areas of water and staying in the
heather. Claire is exhausted beyond caring as she bounces
along.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
I had no idea where we were going.
Ive never had a sense of direction
in the dark, and had never learned
from Frank his trick of navigation
by the stars.
-- FLASHBACK
Claire and Frank walking together at night. Theyre on the
street in the village, arm in arm. He points up to the stars
overhead, as he talks about navigating at night. Shes not
really listening, but smiles warmly at him.
RESUME
Claire takes in a shuddering breath at the memory.
CLAIRE
Thinking of Frank made me want to
cry, so I tried to distract myself
by trying to make sense of the
days events. I was still looking
for rational explanations, but
there were none.
(beat)
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

56.
CONTINUED:

CLAIRE (cont'd)
The truth was, as much as my
rational mind rebelled against the
very idea, I knew in my heart that
I was no longer in the 20th
century...

Behind her, Jamies eyes flutter and he begins slumping over

in the saddle. Claire awkwardly tries to grab him, but cant
hold him.
Stop!

CLAIRE (contd)
HELP! Hes going over!

They rein in and Murtagh and Rupert jump down just in time to
catch Jamie as he tumbles out of the saddle. They ease him
to the ground as Claire leaps down to quickly check his
vitals. Dougal and the other men gather around in concern.
CLAIRE (contd)
He has a pulse...
(puts ear to his chest)
Hes breathing... I think hes just
fainted. Put a saddlebag under his
feet and if theres water, bring me
some.
Murtagh and Neddie quickly carry out her instructions as
Dougal leans down for a better look at Jamie.
CLAIRE (contd)
(to Dougal)
The gunshot wound has been bleeding
again, and the idiots been stabbed
as well. I dont think its
serious, but hes lost a lot of
blood.
Dougal turns to the others, says a few brief words in Gaelic
and then they tend to the horses. Claire works with what
little she has -- essentially tearing more strips from her
dress to make a new dressing for his knife wound. Jamie
begins to stir, he opens his eyes -- his features pale and
drawn in the moonlight.
JAMIE
Im all right... just a wee bit
dizzy...
CLAIRE
You are not all right. Couldnt
you tell how badly you were
bleeding?
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)

57.
CONTINUED: (2)

CLAIRE (cont'd)
Youre lucky youre not dead,
tearing around the countryside,
brawling and fighting and throwing
yourself off horses.

She tries to put the bandages in place, but the jury-rigged

dressings tend to slip away under her fingers.
CLAIRE (contd)
(re: bandages)
No -- cmon now YOU GODDAMNED
BLOODY BASTARD!
The other men literally stop and look at her in shock.
DOUGAL
Neer heard a woman use such
language in all my life.
RUPERT
(to Claire)
Your husband should tan ye, woman.
St. Paul says, let a woman be
silent, and CLAIRE
You can mind your own bloody
business and so can St. Paul!
(to Murtagh)
Turn him to the left.
(to Jamie)
And if you move so much as one
single muscle while Im tying this
bandage, Ill throttle you.
JAMIE
Oh, threats is it? And after I
shared my drink with ye...
Dougal leans down with his own flask.
CLAIRE
No more spirits. He needs tea, or
at worst, water. Not alcohol.
Dougal pours the whiskey down Jamies throat anyway.
DOUGAL
Tend to your business, woman.
Weve a good way to go yet tonight
and hell need whatever strength
the drink can give him.

(CONTINUED)

58.
CONTINUED: (3)
CLAIRE
He needs rest!
DOUGAL
Weve a good fifteen miles yet to
go. Five hours, at the least and
more likely seven. Well stay long
enough for ye to stop the bleeding
and dress the wound again -- no
much more than that.
Dougal moves off, ending the conversation. Claires eyes
flare and she starts to go after him, but Jamie stops her
with a word -JAMIE
Randall wont give up so easily.
Randall. The name cuts through Claire and she gasps
slightly. She quickly tries to regain her composure.
JAMIE (contd)
Hell have patrols out in every
direction by now. We canna stay
here.
CLAIRE
You know Randall -- Black Jack
Randall, that is?

Aye.

JAMIE
(quiet)

(beat)
I won risk you or anyone else
being taken prisoner by that man.
If ye canna fix me up well enough
to ride, then youll all be leaving
me here with a loaded pistol so I
may determine my own fate.
Claire takes a beat, then applies herself to his wounds.
CLAIRE
You couldve at least told me you
were stabbed before you fell off
the horse.
JAMIE
It was a bayonet -- felt it go in,
but it dinna hurt at the time.

(CONTINUED)

59.
CONTINUED: (4)
CLAIRE
Does it hurt now?
Aye.
Good.

JAMIE
CLAIRE

Jamies chuckle turns to a grunt as she cinches up the wound.

CLAIRE (contd)
Thats all I can do right now.
rest is up to you.
JAMIE
Thank you, Sassenach.

The

Truly.

She looks into his eyes and is caught for a moment by the
sincerity and strength she sees in the young highlander.
Then she gruffly covers her reaction.
CLAIRE
On your feet, soldier.
She gives him a hand and he accepts her help.
EXT. HILL - DAWN
Dougal leads the tired party over a hill and down a road. A
HEAVY MIST hangs over the area. Jamie is still in the
saddle, if only barely. Claire isnt in much better shape.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
The rest of the night passed in a
haze of half-sleep, verging on
delirium. Then, finally we neared
our destination.
A LARGE STRUCTURE of some sort rise up out of the thick
morning mists. Claires bleary eyes try to focus on the
shape. Finally she is able to make it out -CLAIRE (V.O.)
Castle Leoch.
-- FLASHBACK
Claire getting out of the car with Frank and looking up at
the castle ruins from the same perspective.

(CONTINUED)

60.
CONTINUED:
RESUME
The castle, now a thriving hub of activity, is directly
ahead. PEOPLE are on the road coming and going to the castle
entrance, few of them paying any attention to Claires party.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
Id been here with Frank only
yesterday. Or was that in the
future? How could I remember
something that hadnt happened yet?
Dougal leads the band across the BRIDGE and into the castle.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
So far, Id been assaulted,
threatened, kidnapped and nearly
raped. And somehow, I knew that my
journey had only just begun.
FADE OUT.
END OF EPISODE